Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Chosen by Fate
by kido.akira
Summary: Set in an alternate reality where the Joestars were able to defeat Pucci and prevent the events from the end of Stone Ocean, a new story unfolds. Follow young Brendan Jones and Shizuka Joestar, along with some old friends, as they uncover the mystery of the new Stand Users that are appearing in the world.
1. Prologue - Those who defy Heaven

Prologue - Those who defy Heaven

Somewhere, a phone ring.

\- Yes?

\- It's me. Sorry for calling you like this.

A sigh came from the other side, followed by a short silence.

\- I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon, Mr. Jotaro.

\- The circumstances have changed. Some new facts came up, and now I need to travel to America as soon as possible. Jolyne's life is on the line this time.

\- Jolyne's life? But, why?

\- She was sent to prison, arrested in some accident. But there's more to this than what it seems. She was framed, by someone whom I believe to be a follower of Dio.

\- Dio...?

\- Yes. Even after all this time, it seems there are still people in this world who carry on with his will. Although I can't say for sure who this person is, I know that they're expecting me to show up.

\- So, a trap was set for you, and even knowing that you will walk right onto it? That can be a really stupid move, Mr. Jotaro.

\- Nevertheless, I'm not walking in the dark on this. The guy's name is Johngalli A, and he was a Stand User who worked under Dio for some time. I couldn't find what his ability is, so I'll need to take a closer look. With luck, I'll be able to take him down before anything else happens, so I can take Jolyne out there in safety. In any case, how is everything going?

\- I've been putting some trustworthy people to look around and ask some questions. I can say for sure that the Arrow wasn't been seen, but the number of Stand Users is increasing for some reason. Either is something that is capable of awakening Stands, or someone orchestrated this from the beginning.

\- The Speedwagon Foundation is currently researching the Arrows we retrieved, but we're not getting any closer to understanding their power, where it comes from or how it works. If anything pops up, please tell me as soon as possible.

\- You have my word.

\- Also, while I'm going to America, I also asked him to stay aware if anything happens. He already has your private number, so there is a chance that you might receive a call from him as well. Ever since what happened with the old man, he kind of decided to stay more involved with all this.

\- Understood. For now, you should just focus on helping Jolyne. We will take care of the rest.

\- Thank you, Giorno. I'm counting on you.

Cape Canaveral  
2012

The clouds were moving faster in the dark sky, almost like if it was some kind of special effect from a movie. The sound of the air currents was completely different from anything that anyone ever heard and had this ferocity that could almost be considered hostile. And atop of a building in Kennedy Space Center, the group of five persons was inside a star-shaped string barrier, looking horrified to the man standing in front of them. Even with all of their efforts, Father Pucci was still able to fully evolve his Stand C-Moon into Made in Heaven, just as planned from the beginning. The priest, now with that supreme power, was ready to follow Dio's path to Heaven. He raised his hands, with the humanoid stallion figure of his Stand right at his side.

\- Time will keep accelerating. Next time, I'll make sure to kill you first, Anasui.

Jotaro, wounded by the priest's last attack, was saved by Anasui's quick thinking, on hiding his Diver Down inside him. Even his Time Stop was no match for the priest's super speed.

\- I didn't receive this ability to dispose of you or to gain more power. No, it was a much bigger reason, a divine providence, that I will gladly use to guide all of the human kind towards the true happiness. - the priest words were sounding like if they came from all directions. Jolyne helped her father to stand up but noticed that he really was badly damaged.

" _It's no use. If we could get him in range, I'm pretty sure that Stone Free and Star Platinum together could definitely beat him down. But as soon as he gets close, we'll be pretty much dead already. Even dad's Time Stop couldn't reach him_ _._ "

The priest pointed to the group.

\- The reason for my actions, the reason for your disposal...

The clouds started to go even faster. Made in Heaven was accelerating time even more, and they all could sense it.

\- It's just a sacrifice for the greater good of humankind!

It was all in a matter of milliseconds. The priest was already in front of them, when Anasui fell on the ground, with a big wound on his chest. The blow wasn't an instant kill, but the damage was enough to make him bleed to death in a couple minutes.

\- **STAR PLATINUM: THE WORLD!**

One second passed.

Jotaro couldn't see inside the time stop the moment when the priest attacked Anasui, only what happened after. Pucci was just close enough for him to reach and hit him hard.

Two seconds passed.

 **ORA!**

It was only when Star Platinum rushed towards the priest that Jotaro noticed. At his side, Jolyne was looking in Anasui's direction, without being able to see what happened to him. But, just behind her, he could see a lot of blurred silver shadows, towards her direction.

" _Knives... he threw them before attacking us! That bastard, it's the same trick, just like Dio..._ "

Three seconds passed.

Star Platinum punched the knives the fastest way he could, and then he turned back to where the Pucci was.

Four seconds passed.

\- The weakness is also in the blood.

Jotaro went static. Pucci was right behind, between him and Jolyne.

" _He moved! Even though the time was stopped, he moved._

\- And your daughter is your weakness, Jotaro Kujo. You were too late. Now, it's time for Heaven.

He still tried to hit the priest, even knowing that he would probably be dead before landing the attack. Star Platinum's hands reached for him, but Made in Heaven was just with the advantage. A fraction of a smile was on Pucci's face when he went for the kill.

But nothing happened.

From his point of view, everything was standing still. Jotaro's Star Platinum right in front of him.

\- What? What is happening?

\- Nothing is happening, Father Pucci. – a voice came, from behind him.

The priest's eyes went wide, as he slowly turned his head. For one moment, a shiver ran through Pucci's body by seeing him standing there.

\- Dio...!?

But something was wrong.

" _It can't be him. Dio is dead, his body was destroyed by the hands of Jotaro Kujo, in the Egypt, 1989. Then, how can this be?"_

In the next moment, the figure of Dio was no longer there, but a tall man using a long black coat, with the same golden hair. More than anything, the same powerful, strong eyes he possessed. He started to walk in his direction.

\- You... you are Haruno Shiobana, aren't you? What are you doing here?

\- Giovanna. My name is Giorno Giovanna. I'm Dio Brando's son, and I am here to stop this madness of yours.

\- What nonsense is this? - the priest couldn't understand. That was nothing like Jotaro's Time Stop. In a matter of fact, it was almost like if time itself wasn't there. It was just nothing.

 **MUDA!**

The first blow came directly to his face. Giorno's Stand was right at his side, looking at him. The pain was completely mixed with the confusion.

\- Your Stand... what is this? How can you even dare to face my Made in Heaven? - Pucci fell on the floor, a big stain of blood on the right side of his face. Giorno looked at him, without showing any reaction. If anything, his eyes were only showing that everything would be over soon. - You were supposed to be at my side. You were supposed to follow Dio's truth, just like me! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO STAND IN MY WAY?

Pucci summoned his Stand to deal an extremely fast blow to Giorno's face. But his attack didn't hit him. To the priest, it felt like it was a straight punch into a wall. Giorno's Stand was simply by his side, waiting for the next command.

\- This is Requiem.

The priest couldn't believe that there was something that could match his extreme speed. But that was just another challenge that he would need to overcome, just like the many others he had been through these last years. All he needed was to get close enough to finish Giorno off in one single attack.

\- I don't care what your Stand is. YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR MADE IN HEAVEN!

 **MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!**

Gold Experience Requiem's attack rush was enough to block the priest attack and to knock him away, far from the others. Father Pucci fell to the floor once more, but this time, he couldn't even try to get up. That attack probably broke some of his ribs and organs, and any movement attempt would definitely hurt him even more.

Giorno turned to Jotaro, who was still phased inside time and healed his wound on the neck, from the priest's first attack. After that, he walked away and deactivated his Stand effect.  
Jotaro blinked, without knowing what just happened. Star Platinum just punched the air in front of him.

And so, five seconds have passed. His Time Stop was over, and everyone could move again.

\- Anasui! - Jolyne and Hermes ran to help him, who had just been damaged by the priest attack. Jotaro, however, noticed Father Pucci bleeding on the floor, and looked in the other direction, where Giorno was standing. It took him a couple moments until he finally understood what just happened.

\- You saved us.

\- Not yet. - Giorno went to where Anasui was.

\- HEY, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? - Jolyne asked, getting ready to attack.

\- It's okay, Jolyne. He is an ally. – Jotaro said. Giorno moved Anasui's body, noticing a large amount of blood he was losing.

\- Gold Experience.

There was a small light coming from his body, and a sudden breath of life came out from Anasui's mouth.

It wasn't much, but at least I could recreate the blood vessels and organs that were damaged by the attack. He's still knocked out, but he will survive.

On the other corner, Father Pucci started to crawl on the floor, without being able to fully move his body. All that he could think was that he needed to stay away from the new foe that had just appeared.

\- Count the numbers... prime numbers, the loneliest ones... 1, 2, 3, 5...

He was almost reaching the border of the building when someone stepped on his back. He turned his head slowly, just to see a new face over him.

\- You aren't planning to escape, right?

The man was almost as tall as Jotaro but definitely younger. The eyes were similar, but his hair was set up in a classic pompadour style from the 80s. He was wearing dark blue clothes and had a Stand right behind him.

Pucci knew that he couldn't take any risks. There was no way to tell what his ability could be, so he had to take a shot and strike swiftly.

\- **MADE IN**...

 **DORA!**

The blow could have been enough to kill him. Pucci felt the pain of feeling his skull crushing in that attack. But in the next second, the pain was gone, almost as if there was no wound anymore. Dazed, he was knocked back on the floor and hit the border wall from the building.

\- I don't know what your power is, but I'm smart enough to know it's some big deal to make Giorno use his Requiem. Don't try to play tricks on me, or I will keep breaking your bones and fixing again until you die of agony, you bastard! - He said, now holding the priest by his shirt.

\- Josuke! - Giorno and Jotaro came closer, and the priest couldn't think straight anymore. The momentum had completely turned against him, and he couldn't see a way out of that situation.

\- It's over. - Jotaro's voice was as calm as ever, even though he was close to death a few moments ago. The priest was looking at him with a certain despair in his eyes, but suddenly, his expression changed completely. A laugh came from Pucci's mouth, followed by his answer.

\- There's no such thing as failure, Jotaro Kujo. It's always a matter of wait for the next opportunity. Made in Heaven is the solid proof that plans can change and still work. What you call a failure, I call destiny. Perhaps it wasn't supposed to end like this, but Fate always finds a way. Destiny is a merciless force, and not even you can fight that back.

Pucci looked around, but the only thing that he saw was the trio standing right there, close to him. His body was badly wounded and there would be no chance for him to even activate his Stand before being knocked out. He knew, deep down, that it was endgame.

\- You can say your nonsense stuff as much as you want. Dio's Diary is gone, and so are your chances of fulfilling his goals. – Jotaro said. Giorno stepped forward.

\- Should I lock him into the Requiem? – the golden Stand was just behind him. And so, there was another laugh.

\- Tell me, Jotaro. Do you believe in gravity?

The priest burst into a hysterical laugh, a scene that was almost creepy, considering his entire demeanor up until that moment. The calm and cold Pucci gave room to a man who had just acknowledged his defeat and could only laugh in his last moment.

\- Our Father, who art in Heaven…

If he was younger, Jotaro would definitely be able to act in time. Even though Giorno had just cured his wounds, his body and mind were still tired from the stress of that battle. He, who was the most experienced among them, was the only one who noticed in time. Father Pucci, using all of his remaining strength, rammed his head on the border wall, crashing his already damaged skull and exploding his own brain.

\- Josuke! – Jotaro shouted. Crazy Diamond appeared and healed the priest head in a matter of seconds, but it was already too late. Perhaps it wasn't for the impact, but for his resolution to end his life in that instant that the deed was possible. If a terrified smile on his face, Enrico Pucci was dead.

[TO BE CONTINUED]


	2. The Mysterious Girl

Harbington, England  
2017

Brendan was riding his bicycle across the alley, going in the direction of the small bridge. His house was a little far from the downtown center, but that had never been a problem for him since he always used the wheels to go anywhere. He was a tall young man, 17 years old, with curly dark hair and green eyes, wearing his jeans and his trademark black jacket with some brownish fur. He crossed the next street, already hearing the sound of the water from the small river under the bridge when he started to speed up, to reach home as soon as possible. He was just coming back from the repair shop, where he went to pick up his phone that accidentally flew off his hand last week, something that he was already used to happen.

He kept riding until finally arrive at the small bridge and crossed it. He could already see his house behind some trees and other houses, but then noticed he didn't saw many people around. Even for a Saturday, the streets were empty that morning.

 _"Better like that, so I can ride with a little more speed!"_ he thought, pedaling faster.

 **BUMP**

The bicycle was thrown in the air, and Brendan fell on his back to the ground, with his backpack softened the fall.

\- What the...!?

There was a girl on the floor as well. He could have sworn she wasn't there in the last second, almost as if she just appeared there out of nowhere.

\- What's your problem? Why did you run over me like this? - she had this funny accent, not usual from England.

\- Over you? I was just riding my bike when you popped up out of nowhere right in front of me. What is YOUR problem?

The girl picked up her stuff that fell on the ground and stood up. She had an average height, with chin-length brown hair and dark eyes, and was wearing a dress with a coat over it, with boots and a scarf around her neck. He also got up, getting a little taller than her. The two looked at each other for a moment. Brendan noticed she was carrying a small purse and had a paper on her hand.

" _Bloody foreigners… I wonder if she's hurt. I hope not, otherwise, she could go to the police and this could evolve even more._ " Not that he was afraid, but Brendan always hated to get involved in troublesome situations like that. He sighed.

\- Listen, I'm sorry for hitting on you, I swear that I didn't saw you standing there. Maybe I was thinking too much or something like that. Just pay attention to where you walk next time, okay? - he said, scratching his head and removing the dirt from his clothes. She just looked back at him, with an empty expression on her face.

\- You should be the one paying attention, you know? How can you ride this thing around like this? You should mind your surrounding, otherwise, things like this will happen. - she said, almost like an adult scolding a child. Brendan felt irritated again.

\- Hey, I've already said I'm sorry, okay? I told you, I didn't saw you there, so my mistake. Can't you just accept my apologies and we leave like that?

 _"I swear that looks like she's making a fuss of this on purpose."_

\- Of course, it's your mistake. Damn, how can you ride this thing if you can't even see people around... oh...! - for a moment, the girl looked like she just remembered something important, and started giggling to herself.

" _This girl is really strange. I'll do better by just avoiding her, I'm not the type to hang out with the freak ones_ " Brendan thought to himself.

\- Well, never mind. I won't go press any charges on this, so you will walk free this time since I'm in a good mood today. – She said, with an unexpected change of attitude.

\- Thank..

\- I'm looking for someone named - she interfered him in the middle of his sentence and checked some papers on her hand - Brendan Jordan, do you know him?

\- It's "Brendan Jones", and that's me. – He said, completely surprised.

\- Wait, it's you? - she sounded surprised and disappointed at the same time, looking him up and down, almost as if she was analyzing him.

" _Why the hell would a freak girl be looking for me? Did I win that TV contest at the supermarket?_ "

\- Yes, it's me. Why?

\- I was told that you lived around here, but I would never guess that you would hit me with that demonic vehicle of yours, what are the odds? I think this is one of those things that happen by fate. – she said, putting her stuff back into her purse.

That's just my bike, you know... it's not even a proper vehicle.

\- Anyway! - there was a sudden change in her voice, going into a serious tone. - My name is Shizuka. Shizuka Joestar. And I came from America to find you, Brendan Jordan.

\- Jones. – he corrected, clearly pissed by her attitude.

" _That doesn't sound like an American name. And what the hell is with all this serious and menacing attitude? Who the hell is this girl?_ "

\- Do you know what a Stand is? - she asked.

\- Stand? As in the supports for objects or the food stalls?

\- No, you idiot. – She sighed, using her pointer finger to massage her forehead. - Well, I knew you probably wouldn't know what a Stand is. Don't worry, it's easy to explain and luckily for you, I am a pro. A Stand is something like a projection of your life energy. They manifest through certain abilities and are directly connected to you. Some people can develop Stands, and there are many types of Stands that were registered until today. Are you keeping up?

Brendan blinked a couple of times, with a bland expression. He raised his cellphone.

\- Hold on, I'm gonna call the Psychiatric Hospital.

\- Who the duck are you calling a mental? – she shouted at him, trying to take the phone from his hand.

" _Duck? And when did I directly called her mental?_ "

\- What are you going onto with this fantasy? - he asked, with some impatience in his voice, trying to keep a serious face after hearing all this nonsense.

\- The reason I'm telling you all of this is because your name was showing up in a report of people with the potential to develop a Stand, and I came personally talk with you to see if that's true or not.

Brendan couldn't hold anymore and started to laugh.

\- Okay, I get it, you're just messing with me. What is this, some new internet meme? I bet you're one of those people who stay all the day on a chan forum talking about all sort of stuff, right?

\- Don't you believe me? - She asked, with an almost sad and disappointed look.

\- You're kidding me, right? Of course, I don't believe. How do you expect me to hear from some strange American freak that showed up and tell me that I can be a person who has superWHAT THE FUCK?

Right in front of him, the girl just disappeared out into thin air.

\- Maybe now you will believe me. - her voice came out from nowhere

\- HEY, WHAT THE DOUBLE FUCK? - he shouted while looking around. There was no sign of her.

\- You see, Brendan Jones. Stands are the real thing, and I'm really telling you the truth here. I'm a Stand User, and maybe you are one as well.

Suddenly, she appeared again in front of him.

\- Bloody hell, how you did a trick like this? Are you a wizard or something? – For some reason, he was more surprised than actually scared.

\- It's not a trick, it's a Stand. Just like I told you. One of my Stand's abilities is to turn me invisible. Not only my limbs - her left arm disappeared in an instant - but my entire body as well. I have this ability since I was a baby, and learned to control it, although sometimes if I get too distracted, I end up by activating it and get invisible without noticing. That's why you hit me at that moment and thought that I wasn't there. Well, as a matter of fact, I was, but just was too distracted and got invisible, so I guess it's my fault also. I'm sorry, I think that now we're even.

" _Okay, now this is beyond the bizarre level. Is this girl really apologizing for being invisible by mistake?"_

\- So, getting back to it, this is my Stand. It's called Achtung Baby.

\- Why is a German name?

\- The name was given by my dad, maybe he just likes German names. But the point here is: I strongly believe that you can also become a user. Or maybe, you already have it and haven't noticed yet.

\- What? - he couldn't believe in all of that.

\- Well, let me see. Did anyone ever hit you with an arrow before?

That question, like everything she was doing, came out of nowhere.

\- You're just fucking up with me again, aren't you? - he said, with a contempt face.

\- C'mon, I'm being totally serious here. There's this special arrow who can awake Stands in people. They were supposed to be collected and stored in America, protected by the Speedwagon Foundation. But we have reports of Stand Users appearing all over the world, so there must be another arrow somewhere. - she was saying those things so calmly that it was almost if she was ignoring the weirdness of that all.

\- Well, let me get into this little game of yours, then. No, no one ever hit me with an arrow before.

\- That's lame. I was expecting you to have some scar or anything like that. It would make everything easier, you know.

\- Hey, hold up. Why would I even have one of those Stand things? I'm just a normal guy and I live one of the most common and boring lives. - he said, feeling a bit depressed about the way he just described his life.

\- Stands are not related to our lifestyle, but to your inner self. They're like a reflection of your soul, and their abilities can mimic your ideas or your wishes sometimes. - the way she was saying those things was really serious, like a priest giving a speech on a church. - The thing is, I can explain later, but all you need to know right now is that your name showed up in a list of people with the potential of developing Stands, or those who already have them but they're inactive or dormant inside you.

\- Okay, let's pretend that I believe in all this you're saying to me, right? That there's a company in America who have a list of people who may or may not have superpowers.

\- Stands.

\- Whatever. So, my name showed up, but maybe it could be another Brendan Jones, right? I mean, it's a cool and sophisticated name, I get it, but maybe there are other people in this world with it.]

She closed her eyes for an instant, with a sigh. Then, she looked back at him, with that serious face again.

\- Stand Users attract other Stand Users. It's like one of the principles of the universe or something like that. You may call this a coincidence, but the truth is that we, Stand Users, are fated to meet each other, because of our abilities.

He looked back at her, without knowing exactly what to say. That was supposed to be a boring Saturday, where he would spend all the day on his video games or on the internet, but turned back to be the day where he would have the strangest conversation of his life.

\- You still think I'm crazy, right? - she asked, calmly.

\- Totally.

She gave another sigh and started to get something in her purse.

\- I tell you what. There's a way to know if you may have a Stand or not. Stands will defend it, user, so they will probably show up to protect you in a situation of danger. - she lifted her arm up, holding a metal piece in her hand.

 _"Is that... A PISTOL?"_

\- What the hell? What are you doing?

\- Hell yeah, I always wanted to say this. Dodge this!

She pulled the trigger, and there was a loud noise. Brendan was frozen, without believing that something like that was happening. Almost as if was in slow-motion, he saw the small blur coming in his direction, but that was in a matter of a moment. There was no time for him to get out of the direction, they're too close.

" _I'm going to die!_ " was the only thought that came to his mind.

 **ZOOOOM**

When the bullet was in a few millimeters of his face, it instantly went up, as if it was shot from a gun again, disappeared into the sky, doing a 90-degree movement. Brendan's legs were shaking, as he was looking up, to where the bullet went. He couldn't believe in what he just saw.

\- It seems we just discovered your stand, Mr. Jones. - she said, with a smile.

He looked back at her. So many things were going on his head with all this, but only one of them came from his mouth.

\- DID YOU JUST FUCKING SHOT ME?

\- Hey now, hold your horses, friend. It was a rubber bullet. Even with all that speed, all you would get would be a small mark on your forehead. Although I hear that this is enough to make people famous here in England. – she said, hitting the gun's cylinder and showing the red rubber bullets.

\- You... - he was pointing her, with his arms still shaking a little of the shock.

\- The idea was to make you believe you truly were in danger, you see. It's not a really orthodox method but was one of the ways to awaken you stand. I really thought that you already had one, that's why I chose this method.

Brendan's heart was starting to slow down to its normal pacing, and his legs stopped to shake.

\- Didn't you have any other way to discover that, other than just shooting people?

\- There is, but maybe not that effective and quick. Besides, it's funny to see people's reaction after they discover it was a rubber bullet. You went all pale as if you were about to cry, that was funny as hell. Come, we have much to talk about. I presume you will invite me to go to your house, right?

 **[TO BE CONTINUED]**


	3. Big Jack pt 1

\- So, I wonder what ability was that.

Shizuka was sitting on the couch, while Brendan was boiling the water to make some tea. He was still a little confused about that entire situation, even though if he was trying to play cool over it.

" _Why did I even invite her to my house? This is absurd, she shot me a few minutes ago, damn it_ …"

\- Maybe it's telekinesis. - he heard her voice coming from the living room.

While the water was boiling inside the kettle, Brendan was lost in his thoughts. On that morning, before leaving his house, he was just a normal guy who had been living an extremely boring life. Now, he was a special guy with some strange superpower hidden inside him. He poured some water into a glass to drink, and couldn't help but let a little smile appear on his face.

" _Awesome!"_

He went to get the glass with water, when the kettle started to make its irritating noise, indicating that the water was ready. Spooked by the sudden sound, the glass flew from his hand, straight to the wall, breaking entirely in a loud, cracking noise.

\- Motherf…!

He ran to the counter and turned the kettle off. The glass shards were shining on the floor, like if they were laughing at his face and all the trouble he would have to collect them. Crashed into a lot of tiny pieces, the glass was beyond any fixing, so Brendan just decided to leave it be and collect them later.

" _17 years and this shit still happen all the time, how?"_

Then, he poured the tea, and took the two mugs to the living room, on a tray. However, Shizuka was nowhere to be found. He left the tray on the small center table and looked around. There was no sign of her.

\- Oh, very funny. If only for the fact that I knew you can become invisible, that could have been a nice prank. What are you, some child playing with her new toy? - he said, with a lot of sarcasm in his voice. But there was no answer.

\- Shizuka? C'mon, this is not funny, show up.

" _She couldn't have gone away, right?_ "

\- I'm here. - her voice came from his bedroom.

\- Geez, what are you doing in my room? Usually, I have a lot of work to bring girls here, you know? - he said, now with a smug smile.

As he was about to walk into his room, he felt a hand gripping hard on his arm, much to his surprise. Brendan turned back immediately, raising the other hand into a fist. He used to get into a lot of fights in elementary school, so his reaction was purely from instinct. However, Shizuka was behind him, only her head and her arms appearing in the middle of the air. With one of her hands holding his arm, she raised her pointer finger from the other hand and placed it in front of her lips, asking for his silence.

\- I'm here, come on. There is something that I need to show you. - her voice came again from his room.

\- Wha... – as he was about to start his sentence, she put her hand over his mouth in a fast movement. Her eyes were wide, as she removed her cell phone from an invisible purse. Shizuka swiped her finger all over the screen and then turned the cellphone to him. With the note tab open, there was a message written.

ENEMY STAND. CANT TALK.

" _What in the world?_ "

Brendan couldn't believe. Enemy Stand? Was that some kind of an attack? And why was this so-called "enemy" using her voice? She let her hand go off his mouth, but this time, he remained silent. Then, she started to type on the cell phone again.

\- What it's taking you so long? Come here, you have to see this! - her voice was still coming from the bedroom, and that was making Brendan completely pissed.

 _"Why would something like an attack happen right here in my house?"_

Brendan couldn't stop his head to ask all those questions, and not having the answers for them was making him more and more irritated. Shizuka tapped his shoulder again and showed him the cellphone screen. There was another message.

\- Come here! - the voice trap was still trying to lure him.

STAND USER NOT HERE. LONG DISTANCE TYPE. STAND TOUCH STEAL MY VOICE. IM SORRY. RUN!

After reading, he looked at her in the eyes. There were a couple of tears rolling over from her eyes, as she was signaling to the door. Apparently, she had lost her voice, but the look that she gave him was clear enough to sound as if she was saying "you can't do anything, just flee".

Brendan put his hand on her arm, with his head down, and pushed her off his way. He walked in the direction of the front door and touched the doorknob. But to Shizuka's surprise, he locked it. Shizuka eyes went wide again, without understanding. She started to shake her arms, in an attempt to make him understand. He was supposed to escape.

\- I don't know a shit about Stands or what they do. But Brendan Jones is not one to run from a fight, you know. - he went for the small cabinet close by the door, and took what looked like a baseball bat from it, then came back to the middle of the room. - Especially against cowards who can't fight on their own! So stop hiding and show yourself, you bastard!

\- Come here, young boy! - her voice came from the room but sounding a lot more provocative this time. – Don't you want to see something cool?

\- Tch, you're still trying to fool me like this? What do you think I'm, an idiot? - he said, pointing the bat in the direction of the room.

The fake voice was laughing. Brendan, irritated, started to walk when the invisible Shizuka hold his arm, tighter than before. She was shaking her head compulsively, in a "no" signal, asking him to don't go. He just pushed her aside and went in. That entire situation had him pissed already, and all that he wanted was to beat down whoever was responsible for that.

He went inside the room, but there was nothing there. It was a small room, with just a bed, a little drawer and a small corner desk and a wardrobe. There was nowhere to someone hid inside, and no signs of someone was there moments ago. It was exactly the same the left in the morning.

\- Oh, hiding again, are we? Are you really that coward? - he shouted. The neighbors would probably hear him, but he wasn't caring anymore. He could almost hear the blood boiling in his head.

\- BRENDAN, BEHIND YOU!

As he was turning around, he understood his mistake. Shizuka had no voice, so how could she shout at him? He always has been proud of his reflexes, but this time, he really messed up.

" _Shit, I can't believe I fell for this!"_

 **ZWOOOP**

All happened in a matter of seconds. Brendan felt as if small tentacles wrapped around his head, and everything went black. He must have closed his eyes by instinct on the last moment. He opened them, but it was everything still pitch black. He could feel his eyeballs rolling, but there was nothing to be seen but darkness. Not even the faintest light was reaching him.

 _"What's going on?"_

\- Oh, such a stupid move. - Shizuka voice was coming from behind as if she was walking around him. - So, what are you going to do now, Brendan Jones? You don't look so brave, shaking your head like that.

Brendan swung the bat in front of himself. Maybe he couldn't see, but he still could hear and was enough to know that whoever that was, it was close to him. He hit the wall, and by the noise, the wardrobe, but didn't felt like if he landed a hit into whoever was attacking him.

\- Damn! You expect to use that stick to hit my Stand? Gosh, you are a dense one.

\- Come and give a try, smart ass. - Brendan's eyes were open, but he couldn't see anything. He knew his enemy was close to him, but relying only on his audition was going to be hard.

He felt something like a punch on his face. It was weak, as if a child tried to beat him, but was enough to make him step back. He tried to swing the bat to the direction from where the punch came from, but once again, he couldn't hit anything.

\- Hahaha, this is really funny to watch, you know?

This time, there was a lot more punches. He started to feel the pain of the successive attacks, but still tried to counterattack, also without success.

\- C'mon, are you really going to keep trying this? I knew that you were a blockhead, but this is too much - The fact that it was Shizuka's voice who was saying those things was just making him more irritated.

 _"I have no idea of how to take this guy down. These weak attacks must be coming from his Stand, which apparently I can't hit."_ The more he thought about it, the more unfair it felt. The Stand was able to damage him, but he couldn't see or even touch it, apparently.

\- I'm getting tired of this. I will just dispose of you, Brendan Jones. And after that, I will deal with the girl.

" _Shizuka said that there were many types of Stand, like automatic and long range ones. Maybe this is one of these cases. Damn, if only I could know more about him..."_

\- Dispose of me? With such weak attacks? Come on, even when I was 14, I could punch harder than this. – Brendan said, with a grim smile. If there was something that he knew how to do, was to provoke his foes.

\- Let's see if you think they're weak now, Mr. Jones. - the answer came, sounding way more menacing this time. And once again, he could feel the tentacles around his entire body for a moment. Then, there was a single punch on his stomach. But this time, it was enough to make him scream in pain, almost as if he was hit with a sledgehammer.

\- AAAAGHHH!

Then, came another laugh from Shizuka's voice, that was sounding way more maniac now. But the pain that Brendan was feeling was enough to let that fact pass unnoticed.

\- Screaming in pain, already?

Another punch came in this time on his face. Brendan went to the floor, with an incredible pain, feeling his head was going to explode. The bat flew from his hand and fell to the floor, away from him.

\- The nociceptor is a sensory neuron that is responsible to warn your brain of possible threats. If your brain recognizes them, it creates the sensation of pain, that is transmitted through your sensory nerve fibers. Removing the limits that your brain can produce will induce you into a state of hyperalgesia. In other words, an increased sensitivity to pain.

Brendan spat on the floor, was pretty sure that he could taste blood in his mouth, although his senses were all messed up because of the pain.

\- Y-you are kidding me, right? Even my grandma can punch harder than this... - Brendan was finding hard to breathe while standing up. But there wasn't much more he could do.

" _I can't do anything on this state. Perhaps running wasn't such a bad idea…_ "

\- Still talking that much? You know, I'm really tired of hearing that. So maybe, I should just remove your voice, what do you say?

Almost at the same time, he felt the tentacles wrapping him again. Brendan opened his mouth and tried to say something, but it felt like someone was holding his throat from the inside.

" _What the hell... my voice?_ "

\- Not the talking guy now, aren't you?

However, this time, it wasn't Shizuka's voice that was talking to him, but a man. A rough voice that he never heard before, but was speaking in the same provoking way as Shizuka was speaking before.

" _Wait, why did his voice change?_ "

But he didn't have much time to think, because another barrage of punches had just hit him, and this time, the pain was really intense. Enough to throw him on the floor, gasping for air. With his throat feeling torn up from the inside, he tried to get up and stand on his feet, but the pain was too much.

\- Brendan, my voice is back! – Shizuka's voice suddenly came from the living room.

\- Wha... shit, I forgot. Well, it doesn't matter. It's not like you can do anything just because you can speak again. I will deal with you first, Shizuka Joestar. With such a weak ability, you won't be able to do any harm to my Stand, Big Jack.

" _First the German name, and now this? What the hell, why can't people give regular names to their Stands?"_

Brendan could hear noises coming from outside the room but was finding hard to get up. With that hypersensibility, he couldn't put much of a fight without suffering a great drawback. In the midst of his thoughts, he managed to hear bumping and heavy noises from the living room, as if the furniture was being moved around.

" _Shizuka is fighting…_ "

\- You may be invisible now, but as soon as my Big Jack gets you, I will take away that invisibility of yours, Joestar. Then, you won't be able to hide from me anymore. – Big Jack shouts were becoming clearer and psychotic.

" _That's not good. Shizuka's power is not a fighting type, so all that she will be able to do is hide. But in a house so small, she won't be able to hide for long. I have to do something."_

\- Look, Shizuka. Your tea was waiting for you. Do you want some sugar with it?

There was a loud noise, from the small table falling on the floor, and then came the cracking noise from something being shattered into pieces.

" _What is happening there?_ " just from hearing the battle, Brendan couldn't understand what was going on.

\- Holy shit! What is this? – Shizuka shouted.

\- There you are. Big Jack!

And then, there everything went completely white. Brendan started to blink, and the world started to go back into focus. He looked over his body and saw Shizuka covered in a white powder that came from the sugar pot, that was now completely broken on the floor. In front of her, there was a humanoid creature, of around 1,50 meters. It had a purple body with some green symbols around. He had no face, but his hair looked like some tentacles, that were wrapping Shizuka.

 _"What the hell is that thing? Is that a Stand?"_

\- Can't hide now, Ms. Joestar.

The Stand released a barrage of punches all over Shizuka, while his hair was immobilizing her. She screamed from the pain while shaking her arms in an attempt to protect herself.

" _Wait a second. Why can I see again?_ "

Trying to concentrate with all that pain, Brendan closed his eyes for an instant, as if not watching that scene could help him to think better.

" _Is there a time limit for those steals? Or maybe, there's a limit of things he can steal. Yes, that got to be it. Before, right after stealing my voice, Shizuka's came back. And when he stole her invisibility, my sight came back. Maybe he can only have three steals at the same time. Damn it, what a troublesome guy. If only I could find a way to fight back..._ "

And then, he remembered. He had an ability as well, although He saw it before when Shizuka's bullet was reflected from him. And when he touched the glass, that flew from his hand. For some reason, he also remembered all the times where his phone seemed to have slipped off his hand. To himself, that was always a sign of his clumsiness. But maybe, it could be something more.

" _Throwing things? Is that my Stand ability? Damn it, if only I could know more about this!_ "

In anger, Brendan punched the floor, forgetting his hyperalgesia state, which gave him an absurd pain. At the same time, he saw the baseball bat that had just rolled over to him, bounce in its location and hit the floor again.

" _It... reacted?_ "

This time, he tried to hit the floor again, but with less strength. And once again, the bat moved, but with less impact. Brendan looked at his hand, and for a second, he could see what looked like a black shadow over his own limb.

" _Propulsion_? No, more like a pulse…"

\- I'm tired of this joke. You two are ridiculous! - Big Jack stopped his attack, releasing Shizuka from his hair grasp. He was standing on his feet, his back turned to the room where Brendan was while looking at the girl that was on the floor as well. - I thought that I would need to fight, but you are so weak that...

 **CRACK**

Shizuka was thrown in the air on a straight line, passing by the Stand that was in front of her, going in the direction of the room, almost as if she had been thrown by a catapult. Big Jack turned himself to see what happened.

\- What the…!

With his hand bleeding on the floor from the punch, Brendan Jones was getting up, ignoring the pain from his hypersensitivity. Shizuka landed close to him, and slide over the floor, right by his side.

" _It seems..._ "

He stood up, looking at Big Jack, with anger and determination burning in his eyes and the blood dripping from his hand that he just clenched into a fist.

 _"That I can finally fight back!"_

Behind him, a black humanoid figure was floating in the air, standing right over his shoulder.

[TO BE CONTINUED]


	4. Big Jack pt 2

Brendan was on his feet, with a heavy breathing, and his fist down, with the blood dripping to the floor. Shizuka was on the floor as well, close to him, with a few bruises on her face, but nothing serious. He took the cell phone from his pocket and typed a message, before turning it to her

U OK?

\- I am. Those attacks weren't so strong but were enough to mess me up. - she answered, a bit flustered.

Brendan was not a vengeful type. Of course, he always was caught up in fights during his childhood, thanks to his fiery behavior, especially if people were bullying his friends.

"But _if there's something that really pisses me off..._ " he pointed in the direction of the Big Jack, who was in front of him and then put his thumb down

" _Are cowards like you who only goes after targets because they are easy!"_

Even if Big Jack had no eyes, he could still see. Behind Brendan Jones, there was a tall humanoid figure. Maybe taller than him, with a seemly muscular body, with many line patterns all over his chest and limbs, a few spikes all over his legs, shining metal greaves and boots, a fur around his neck just like Brendan's jacket and a head similar to a motorbike helmet, with just its mouth outside. It was a menacing and terrifying figure, and it was just there, floating at his side.

\- What is with that attitude? Just because you pulled your stand out and it's all stylish, doesn't mean it's powerful enough against my Big Jack. I can still cause you the worst pain of your entire life, boy.

" _Of course, I haven't forgotten that. But I also know about your rule. You can't take more than three things from your opponents. And you are already at your limit. Which means, if you want to take anything from me, you will have to give my senses back._ " He just gave back a grin smile

\- Tch... You really are over-confident, aren't you? I will teach you a lesson you will never forget! – the Stand shouted, with the voice of its master.

Big Jack went running in his direction, with his tentacles waving on the air, ready to attack, but Brendan's Stand punched him as soon as he got in range. The strength was enough to throw him back, and Big Jack fell to the floor. However, the wound on his fist just got worse.

" _Shit, it appears that even punching will hurt. But at least, now I know. My stand is strong enough to take on this guy. It's all a matter of finishing this soon_ ". He started to walk on Big Jack's direction, who fell close to the table.

\- Darn... where did you get that strength? THIS REALLY HURTS, YOU KNOW?

Big Jack stood up, even with the damage he took from the attack.

" _Shizuka said that if the stand is damaged, the same happens to the user. So, if I beat this guy really hard, then for sure the same will happen to whoever controls him. If we knock him out, it will give us the chance to get the user."_

His Stand punched Big Jack again, this time putting more strength on it. There wasn't even time for a reaction. The wound on Brendan's hand was now just blood and flesh. He had tears in his eyes with all the hypersensibility, but his anger at that moment was bigger than his pain.

\- Stop it, please! - Big Jack raised his hands up, in a symbol of resignation. - I give up, your speed and strength are bigger than mine. I know when I'm defeated.

\- Huh? Already? What kind of man are you? You sneak in, try to kill us, and now you will just give up and beg for mercy? - Shizuka said from distance, almost sounding offended by the man's subtle attitude - No, no, no. You will tell us who you are, and why you attacked us.  
\- If I say everything, will you let me go?  
Brendan's Stand just raised its fists again.  
\- Geez, okay, calm down, calm down. I was hired by this shady looking man wearing a suit. He gave me a profile of Shizuka Joestar and said she was coming here to Harbington to look for some Stand User. I was supposed to kill both of you and leave as soon as possible.

\- Hold on a second! - Shizuka also came close to where they were. - This guy, do you know him? And did he knew you were a Stand User?

\- Yes, of course. He hired me just because of my Big Jack. I don't know him, and I usually avoid assassination jobs, but I had no choice. It was that or he would turn me into the Hunters. – Big Jack was harsh in his answers.

\- Hunters? - Shizuka asked, clearly confused.  
\- Haven't you heard of them? They're called Stand Hunters. They are Stand Users who are focused solely on eliminating other Users. A bunch of mercenaries, if you ask me.  
\- WHAT? - Her confused look became a mixture of fear and unbelief.  
" _Wait, these types of guys really exist? Shit, this is getting dangerous..._ " Brendan had a worried face, especially after seeing Shizuka's reaction.  
Meanwhile, Big Jack was slowly moving its body on the floor, trying to get into a better positioning. Sharing all that information was his only choice to make them open their guard for an attack.  
\- I've never heard about this from the family or the Speedwagon Foundation. I will have to call them about this, but it's really dangerous. – Shizuka said, raising her hands on her head.  
" _His guard is open, NOW!_ "

Suddenly, Big Jack stood up in a fast move and threw his tentacles over Brendan's face for a second, just to release them and let him fall on the floor.

\- Brendan! - Shizuka shouted, startled by the surprise attack. As she tried to go for Brendan, the tentacles also went to her head and just like him, she fell on the floor.  
Big Jack then took distance, staying out of their reach distance. Brendan tried to force his body to stand up, but every movement had a drawback that pushed him straight to the floor. It was as if gravity was trying to pin him down in any way it could.  
\- HAHAHAHA! I did it. I've stolen your balance, Brendan, and Shizuka. If you can't get up, then you have no way of defending yourself. You can have your pain regulation and your voice back, but I don't think that will be of any help.  
\- You bastard. Come here! – Brendan shouted at him. Apparently, he couldn't send his Stand too far from his own position, so there was no way for him to use It to attack Big Jack.

\- No can do. I won't get any closer to your range. Instead, I'm going to make sure you two die right now. This house will burn!

Big Jack moved towards the kitchen, straight to where the oven was. He quickly turned on all the switches using his hair tentacles, got close to the gas pipe and the got the lighter that Brendan left on the counter.  
\- Stop it! - Brendan's Stand punched the floor right after the command. Immediately, the shards that were on the kitchen's ground flew in the air, right towards Big Jack. However, they simply passed through his body.

\- It's no use, Brendan. You can't damage him with physical objects. – Shizuka said, trying to move.

\- Yes, I can. He just turned the oven on using those tentacles. Apparently, those things have to become material in order to interact with the world. In other words, that's his weak spot. – Brendan said, looking around. There wasn't anything close that he could use to throw at his opponent. Without options, there was only one thing that he could do.

\- Listen up, Big Jack. You came to my house, attacked me and Shizuka, made me go through all this shit and you think you can get away like that? – Brendan said, calmly.

\- I'm already doing it. You will stay there on the floor, unable to move, and watch while the flames consume not only this entire place but your body as well.

Brendan laughed. A laugh that scared not only Big Jack, but Shizuka as well. She, who was on the floor right by his side, couldn't see what they would do to escape that situation. But Brendan was laughing out loud, with tears on his eyes already, as if he already had given up.

\- Why are you laughing like that, what the hell is your problem? – Shizuka asked, confused and worried.

\- Oh, I'm sorry Shizuka. I'm just feeling so happy, you know? – Brendan said while cleaning the tears from his eyes. Big Jack was also there, unable to understand what was going on with him.

\- After all, I'm about to give you the biggest beatdown you will ever see.

\- What?

Big Jack made a movement, caught by surprise with that statement. In the next second, Brendan's Stand raised up its fist in the air and punched the floor right where he was laying on. It took a second for the following effect, where a loud noise came from the ground, and Brendan flew in the air, just like Shizuka before.

" _Is that... propulsion?"_ Big Jack was completely caught off guard. All that he could do was watch, and at the exact moment that Brendan was still in the air, their eyes met with each other.

\- I told you! YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY!

The black Stand came right out and Big Jack knew what was coming.

\- **WAAAAAAAAAARRRR**

In a matter of seconds, he unleashed a barrage of punches direct to Big Jack's face. With every punch, he could feel a part of himself crying in pain. But that wasn't enough for it to make it stop. Eventually, he lost his conscience.

Brendan fell on the floor, just like Big Jack, whose hair tentacles had been completely broken, as if its face had withered away. Suddenly, he noticed that he was able to stand still again, although there were still some side effects on his legs.

\- Are you alright, Shizuka?  
\- Aye, sir. But I still feel a little dizzy. Maybe I DO have some balance problems... - she said, getting up as well and cleaning the dirt from her clothes. There was still some sugar on her body, from Big Jack's attempt to find her inside the invisibility. – Now, we have to find the user as soon as we can and restrain him. Although, I'm assuming that with that beatdown, will be quite easy to identify him.

And definitely was. The two went outside and quickly found a short old man, around his fifties, completely full of bruises and marks all over his body. Apparently, his hiding spot was on the house behind the one where Brendan was living. The owners were overseas and it was perfect for him to stay safe while doing his job.

They woke him afterward, and while making sure that he wouldn't have any means to escape, they started asking the questions. Well, more like Shizuka was doing it, while Brendan was just keeping an eye and being ready to intervene. His hand was still completely damaged from the fight, and all that he managed to do was to put some bandages on it.

Apparently, Big Jack didn't know for sure how he got his Stand. According to him, one day the man wearing the suit came to him with a file about everything that was related to Stands. It took him some time to know how to use it, and he was quick to put it to work on the black market. That bit of info caught a lot of Shizuka's curiosity. Later on, she explained everything to Brendan.

\- You see, Speedwagon Foundation's Research team found out that many Stand Users are popping up in the world. Using the technology from the Arrow and with my Dad's Stand, they were able to develop an incredibly useful device.  
\- A device?

\- Yeah, sort of. Actually, it's more like an automatic Stand. That belongs to a printer.

\- A WHAT?

\- Like I said, it was something that came from my dad. He wasn't the most normal of the guys in the world. Anyway, the printer can pop out some information regarding Stand Users, it's kind like a divination thing.

\- A printer...

\- Knock it off, already. Anyway, this is what came from the printer. - She took a paper from her purse and slammed it on the table. Brendan looked at it and gasped.

Indeed, the name Brendan Jones was written in black on the white paper. There was a shadowy silhouette on it, making it harder to see who it was. But Brendan was quite aware that it was definitely his. However, what truly caught his attention was the fact that all over the paper, in red, the word **DANGER** was written, even over his name.

\- Wait, is this some kind of joke? - He asked.

\- This is what I want to know. Also, we need to discover how you developed your Stand. Remember what Big Jack, or whatever his name was, said? He didn't remember where he got his Stand, and that the guys in suits where the ones who guided him into this matter- Shizuka had a serious expression. Brendan yawned.

\- And your point is?

\- Someone out there is giving Stands to other people and doing this for a reason. We have to discover what reason is this.

\- Hey, hold on a second. Why do I have to get involved with this? Okay, I did fight that guy, but only because he invaded my house and attacked me. I have no reason to go play the spiritual detective with some strange girl. This is almost like one of those anime things. – Brendan said with his eyes closed, scratching the back of his head. Just thinking about all that was enough to make him feel tired already.

\- Could you cut it off, please? Haven't you heard what he said? There are Stand Hunters around there. I never heard of them, but if they are specialists on hunting Stand Users, then we all are in danger. Besides, this should mean something to you, don't you think? - she was waving the paper on his face.

He opened one of his eyes and looked straight at her. She was definitely serious about all that.

\- Let's say, for a moment, that I decide to go with you on this. What exactly is your plan? I mean, these guys are dangerous, right? And I'm not sure if I want to get involved with more dangerous people.

\- I want to investigate these people, you know? I want to know who they are, and in what activities they're involved into. You see, there are many cases of people who went around giving Stands to others, and that only created trouble. Because whenever you awake your Stand, you will never be the same... - she looked down for a while. Brendan wondered why she seemed so eager and anxious about all of that.

\- And what next? Are you going to turn those suit guys to the police? Is there any Stand Police in the world that can actually do something?  
\- If they're involved on the black market or trying to use Stands for whatever shady business, they have to be stopped. Also, we need to discover if they really have the ability to give Stands to other people. – She said, putting all of her stuff on the purse and taking her cell phone out.

\- And how do you plan to do that? If all this history is true, we can't take these guys alone.

\- Who said anything about alone? - Shizuka answered, with a smile.

\- What do you mean? - Brendan asked, a little more curious.

\- You see, facing an enemy stand user today was everything I need. When I spoke with them about your profile, they said that maybe it was a mistake. But fate proved that I was right and that something was going on. With all the new information we've got, then they will definitely have to act. I'm calling them right now, as a matter of fact, and prepare everything. – She got up and started dialing on her phone.

\- Shizuka, what the hell are you talking about? - She was sounding so excited about everything, while he could barely understand what was going on.

\- I'm going to set up a meeting, of course. We will talk about everything that happened, and what action we'll have to take.

\- Okay, I've got it, but meeting with who?

\- Who else? - she said with a bigger smile, getting up and going to the kitchen. He saw a big JO knitted on the back of her coat. - My family, of course. The Joestars.

[TO BE CONTINUED]


	5. Visitor

\- I can't believe I 've agreed with you.

\- Shut up, just help me with this! - said Shizuka, grabbing the other side of the couch. They spent the rest of that day re-arranging the furniture from Brendan's house, much to his displease. Shizuka wasn't very clear with how many people were coming, even after he asked many times.

\- Why can't I just use my Stand to do this? - Brendan asked. Shizuka just looked back at him.

\- Well, first things first. Look at the state of your hand. I doubt that you can keep up forcing yourself like that. And second, you can try, if you want. But can you already control it at full capacity? I mean, what if you send your couch flying through the wall? – She scolded him like she a mom taking away her son's new toy.

\- What's the point of having superpowers if I can't use them as I want? - Brendan mumbled to himself, going back to drag the couch around.

\- They aren't superpowers, douchebag. They're Stands, and it's better to avoid using them for a while. We need to lay low, as we don't know if the suits will send another person after us.

Brendan's house wasn't so big. After the battle with Big Jack, he lost his table and had a few damages on the floor, thanks to the use of his Stand.

 _"The landlady will definitely kill me if she sees all this. I've already had those problems with the rent last month, and now this. Curses..."_

\- Hey, Brendan, do you study?

\- What? - he was caught by surprise with that sudden question and the change of the topic. - No, I don't.

\- How come? You have 17 years, right? You should be in high school, didn't you?

\- Well, I've entered school at a younger age, so I've finished it when I was 16 years old. I've been working since then because I don't know what to do in the college. - he was never ashamed of saying that he was working at a young age.

\- What about your parents? - she asked. Brendan simply shrugged his shoulders.

\- I never knew them. They left me in an orphanage when I was 1 year, and I lived there until I was 12. I was "adopted", in a manner of speaking, by the woman who lives on the next street, which is also the landlady. I never lived with her, she just allowed me to live in this house, as long as if I had good grades and started to work as soon as possible.

\- Oh, so we have something in similar, rather than just being Stand Users. I was adopted by Dad when I was a baby. He brought me with him to America and raised me up until his death. -she said, with an innocent smile.

For a moment, Brendan noticed how peculiar that situation was. He met Shizuka on that morning, but somehow, he already was feeling some sort of strange, nonsense connection with her.

\- Hey, what's up with that stupid look on your face? - she suddenly came back to her mocking self, going from innocence to smugness.

\- Shut up, freak. I'm going to sleep, it's already late. You can sleep on my bed, I going for the couch. - he said, getting pissed again and laying on the couch.

\- I hope that you are the type of guy that keeps its room clean. - she said, laughing and walking towards his room, leaving him behind. - Night! - she said as she closes the door.

Brendan laid on the couch while looking at the house. It wasn't a big rearrangement, they've just moved all of the furniture to open some space in the room. With the table broken, there wouldn't be an exact space for them to sit.

 _"This is really problematic..."_

And that was the last thing that came to his mind, because he quickly fell asleep, tired because of the events of that day.

Brendan had a strange dream. He was in a cage, without his clothes. Outside, many guys in black suits were looking at them, while other guys in lab coats were making annotations on papers.

"LET ME GO, YOU BASTARDS!" he was screaming at them, but to no avail. They just kept writing on their clipboards.

"Calm down, Brendan..." said one voice. Shizuka was on the outside, looking at him with a smile, also wearing a black suit. "It all will be over soon," she said, as a tentacle came out from her head and went around his face, covering it.

"Nghhoooo…!"

Brendan couldn't breathe, wrapped like that. No, he really couldn't breathe at all. He woke up, and there was something preventing him from inhaling.

\- What the ...! - he started to shake his arms, getting desperate.

Shizuka appeared at his side, coming out from her invisibility while laughing.

\- Oh, thank God you woke up. You were snoring so loud that I couldn't sleep anymore, so I was pressing your nose as a punishment. - she said, rubbing her eyes. Her hair also was totally messed up. Brendan looked at her for a few moments.

\- THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? - he tried to hit her with a slap but she dodged it, laughing, and went inside the toilet. He noticed that it was already morning, thanks to the sun rays coming from the window. He stood up and stretched a little like he used to do every morning. Scratching his eyes, he went to the kitchen and started to open the cupboards.

\- No more coffee or tea... damn it, I need to go to the market again. - he said, pouring a glass of milk to himself. Since last day, before Big Jack's attack, he wasn't able to enjoy a proper meal. He took the glass to his mouth.

\- OH MY GOOOOOD!

Startled by that shout, he accidentally spilled the milk all over himself.

 _"This has to be a nightmare..."_ he thought while leaving the glass on the side and going to the bathroom, from where Shizuka screamed.

\- Shizuka, is everything okay? - he knocked on the door, that opened immediately.

\- They already arrived in London and are coming here by bus! - she shoved her cell phone at his face.

\- Er, Shizuka...- he asked, completely confused. - Why are you half invisible?

In front of him, all he could see was her face and the arm holding the cell phone.

\- Huh? Because I'm without my clothes, of course. I was about to take a shower when I received a call.

\- Couldn't you have just covered yourself with the towel? - he said, looking in the direction where her body was supposed to be. That still creeped him out.

\- Nah it's faster this way. - she said, with some pride in her voice.

\- What about the whole story of "avoiding to use your Stand for futile reasons"?

\- Well, well, well, well... I would never guess that Mr. Brendan Jones was such a pervert. - She said, with a smug smile on her face. - I bet you are looking at my body right now, imagining how it is, aren't... OH MY GOD!

\- What? - he gasped.

\- Are you a virgin?

He grabbed the door and closed it with a slam.

 _"This girl... she really, REALLY piss me off."_

\- I will take a quick shower, then you can use, okay? - her voice came from inside, at the same time that the water from the shower started to flow.

Brendan sat back on the couch, looking at the ceiling, thinking back on everything that happened. Would the fact that he was a Stand User change anything on is life? He never knew what he was going to do, but with all that situation that he was right now, thinking about the future felt a little pointless. The attack from Big Jack proved that there were people out there who really used their Stands to survive somehow.

 _"That guy came after Shizuka to eliminate her. What if I become a target after that, as well? Will I have to keep fighting those people, or fleeing from them?"_

The idea of spending his life fleeing was enough to make him angry. He had no reason to flee.

 _"I have my Stand. If anyone comes in my way, I'll just beat them. I'm not the guy who runs away anymore..."_

That day went on really fast. After taking a shower, Brendan went out for groceries but made sure to return as fast as he could. Although they left Big Jack unconscious, the idea of leaving Shizuka alone with him was a bit scary. He was already home and it was almost afternoon when he heard the doorbell. As he walked towards it, he felt a presence. He had already lifted his hand but didn't touch the doorknob.

 _"What if it's another one of them?"_

And there he was, feeling his heart beating faster. Was that another attack? Was he ready for another fight, if that was necessary? What if there was a strong enemy on the other side, just waiting for him to commit a mistake?

Brendan shook his head. There was no reason to be afraid. In the worst case, all he would need to do was to fight them back, like he did against Big Jack. Resolute, he opened the door.

\- 'Sup!

The two persons standing by outside certainly weren't what he expected.

Both were very tall, although one was skinnier than the other. The first man was wearing a dark blue pullover, with a black jacket and blue trousers. He had a strange hairstyle, similar to a classic pompadour but smaller. He was also wearing glasses with a black frame. Even though his clothing style was a little wild, he had a very calm presence. As for the man behind him, who was taller, it was the opposite. He was wearing a black shirt with a big purple coat and brown pants. He also had a cap on his head, although it was hard to see the divisions between his hair and the cap. His eyes were fixed on Brendan

\- Are you Brendan Jones? - the guy with the pompadour asked.

Brendan just kept looking at them. Both had hard, expressive lines in their faces, indicating that they were at least two or three times more experienced than him. A chill ran through Brendan's spine. What if they were after him already?

The guy with the glasses made a movement as if he was going to grab something from his pockets.

 _"A gun?"_ Brendan thought, while already acting. He was new to that, but according to Shizuka, all the was needed was to focus on what you wanted. His Stand came up and went straight to punch the guy in front of him.

T he taste of blood came inside his mouth, followed by the pain. He fell on his knees on the ground.

 _"HUH? What the hell just happened?"_

The man with the purple coat suddenly was in front of him. Brendan could swear that he was staying behind just a second ago.

 _"I knew it. They are Stand Users!"_

\- Did you see that, Josuke? - the man with the hat said.

\- Yeah. It was pretty fast. I would say It's almost the same speed as mine. - said the guy with the glasses, getting close to him. Brendan was about to move when he felt the pain from the hit he just took disappear.

\- W-what is going on? - he said, getting up.

\- I'm sorry. I've stopped your attack to protect him. - said the man with the hat. - Also, we wanted to see how you would react to an incoming attack. That's a nice speed, that your Stand has.

\- You didn't need to punch him, Mr. Jotaro. That was rude. How are you? - the guy called Josuke asked.

\- You... healed me? - Brendan noticed that both guys had similar eyes and the same look, despite one of them being a bit colder than the other.

\- Well, I had to, since that punch probably opened a wound inside your mouth. - the guy stood up and so did Brendan.

\- HEY, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?

Shizuka appeared in the living room, with an angry look on her face.

\- That's not how you treat someone whose house you are about to stay. - She screamed at them, although Brendan noticed that both guys were smiling.

\- Hey Shizuka, how are you doing? - Josuke asked

\- Oh, terrific. We're attacked yesterday, and if wasn't for him, I'm sure we both would be dead by now. I told you, didn't I? Dad's Printer wasn't wrong, this guy really was in danger, and if I hadn't shown up, that stand user would probably have killed him.

\- Actually, he was after you, Shizuka. I'm pretty sure that he was after me because we were together… - Brendan said, feeling like an underestimated child in an adult's conversation.

\- Details. - she answered back, piercing him with her eyes. Josuke laughed, but the other man, Jotaro was just standing there.

\- And what happened with the Stand User, Shizuka? - he asked.

\- We are keeping him tied in the room. We can't take the risk of releasing him without the proper procedures. – She said.

\- And you guys fought him alone? That's incredible. - said the man with the pompadour, wandering around the room, looking at the marks from the fight.

\- Well, Brendan was more of the action part. I was the strategist. - she said, with a smile.

\- No, you were caught on his attack first, and then he...

\- DETAILS! Anyway, I'm glad that you guys came that fast.

\- As a matter of fact - said Jotaro - when you called me, we were both at the airport already. Despite what I told, you still acted on your own. Still, it's good that you managed to go through that.

\- And Mr. Jotaro got worried that you were doing this alone. - said Josuke, from behind them. Brendan looked at him and noticed that his table was entire again, and there was no more damage on the floor as if his entire living room had been completely rebuilt.

\- Well, Brendan, let me formally introduce you. This is Jotaro Kujo, my uncle, and this is Josuke Higashikata, my brother.

[TO BE CONTINUED]


	6. It's All in the Family

The two figures who had just entered the house were just as much strange as Shizuka, but at that point, Brendan wasn't even surprised anymore. The last day was probably the weirdest day of his entire life and he was pretty sure that things were about to become even more bizarre.

They were sitting at the table having some tea, while Shizuka explained with details all the past events, from their meeting to the encounter with Big Jack.

\- I thought that we had captured all the Stand Arrows, Mr. Jotaro. - Josuke said, after a while. Jotaro took a sip of his mug before answering.

\- 1986, the man named Diavolo recovered six arrows and sold five of them to Enya Geil. The one he kept was later destroyed. Of these five, one was given to Nijimura Keicho and one to Yoshihiro Kira. We managed to recover the one that Keicho had, but the other with Kira disappeared, possibly was destroyed with him. Polnareff recovered one on Egypt, and it's currently under the care of Giorno in Italy.

\- So, there are two Arrows that are unaccounted for, then? – Shizuka asked.

\- One. Of these two, one of them was used by Enrico Pucci to develop his own Stand and create the Stand Discs. Apparently, he kept that Arrow hidden by orders of Dio and avoided using it to attract attention. We found it hidden in the church where they both met for the first time. – Jotaro said.

-What? When? – Shizuka sounded surprised

\- Two weeks ago. That arrow is currently at a Speedwagon Foundation facility in Europe.

\- And that leaves us with one missing Arrow. – Josuke said, cleaning his glasses.

Brendan looked at that conversation with a lot of confusion in his head. Shizuka told him the basics of how the Arrow worked and how it has been a protagonist of many situations around the world.

\- Well, I would definitely remember If someone had shot me with an Arrow. So I'm pretty sure that happened differently with me. – he said. Jotaro looked at him.

\- You don't need to bit hit with the entire Arrow to develop a Stand. A shard can be enough to activate the entire process.

\- It has been many years already, and we couldn't trace what happened with the fifth Arrow. And we can't be even sure if there was another arrow retrieved before Diavolo. There are many possibilities here. – Shizuka said, scratching her head.

\- If we consider the possibility of the person using a shard instead of the proper Arrow, then it's more complicated than before. We are grasping at straws here. – Josuke said. – Until now, at least.

\- What do you mean? – Shizuka asked, surprised.

\- Brendan Jones. If we manage to discover where his Stand came from, then it will be a matter of time for us to track whoever is doing this. – he replied.

\- But… - Shizuka started again, but Jotaro interrupted her.

\- The biggest issue is to discover when he was hit by the Arrow and for how long his Stand remained dormant. Obviously, he may not even remember when that happened, but fortunately, he won't need to. We brought someone who can.

Jotaro opened his briefcase on the top of the table. Brendan saw that there was a machine inside that was similar to a computer, with a screen, a small keyboard and a pad that he guessed it was for handprint reading.

\- What is that? – Shizuka asked.

\- This is a remote prototype that is connected directly to the Printer. We didn't want to take the risk of bringing it outside its housing station and attracting the attention of those who might be interested in acquiring its technology. I'm assuming that you remember that time when we had an invasion on the facility of people who were after the Printer. – Jotaro said while typing some credentials and password access on the system that was booting up.

\- Yes, I remember. Ever since that, the Printer has been hidden in a special hideout, under surveillance and monitoring 24 hours per day. – Shizuka replied while looking at Brendan. – But are you sure that this will work?

\- Well, it's our best shot. Let's hope that Joseph Joestar can be helpful enough in this situation. – Jotaro said, also turning to Brendan. – Now, I want you to put your hand into the reading pad, but try to do it with your Stand as well. This is still a prototype, so we will need all the accuracy possible.

Brendan put his hand on the pad, just like Jotaro said. He focused for a while and could see the hands of his own Stand overlapping his own as if both of them were touching the reader at the same time and space. A couple of orange lights flashed on the machine, and a voice came in from the computer.

\- The readings are positive, Mr. Jotaro. The Printer is working on its usual so far. – Heit was the voice of a man, apparently one of the engineers that were managing the Printer on the other side.

\- Good, keep an eye on it, Nile. Now, Brendan, I want you to try and focus as hard as you can on your Stand and your memories. Ask yourself where did it came from, and look around your life experience for events that you think that might have been connected to your Stand.

Brendan closed his eyes and tried to ask those questions to himself. But with all the events of the past days, he could barely concentrate on memories from five or ten years ago. On his mind, there was only confusion and an uneasiness from this possible enemy that was hiding in the shadows and sending killers after him.

-We have no response, Mr. Jotaro. – the voice said, from the computer.

-Keep monitoring it, Nile. Brendan, focus.

-Try to stay calm. – Shizuka said while watching. Josuke leaned over and looked at the screen, where only a lot of big data was running across a grid.

\- It's not calibrated enough. The Printer might be connected, but the effects won't reach him if there isn't a common access. – he said.

Brendan could hear them speaking, but was trying to look over his memories as much as he was capable of. He could feel a few drops of sweat running over his face, but that was all that he had. The flashes from his fight Big Jack kept appearing over his head again and again.

\- Mr. Jotaro, the lights! – Josuke suddenly said. Brendan opened one of his eyes and noticed that one of the lights that were orange before now had suddenly gone purple. There was a static noise coming from the screen.

\- We got readings! – Nile shouted from the other side.

\- Keep at them! You are doing good, Brendan! – Jotaro said.

Brendan looked at his hand on the pad, and for one second, he thought that he saw a purple tendril with thorns wrapping over his hand. Although his first reaction would naturally be to remove his hand, he was sure that it was going exactly as it was supposed to be.

\- You are doing great, Brendan! – Shizuka said.

\- The questions, focus on them. – Jotaro said while keeping his eyes on the screen with Josuke.

Brendan closed his eyes again, and tried to ask himself many times about what his Stand was and where did it come from. He was unsure if that could work like that, but he carried on anyway.

\- What the…!

It was only when Josuke said those words that Brendan suddenly felt dizzy. He opened his eyes and saw the purple thorns where climbing his arm as if they wanted to reach his head. He could hear his heart beating really fast and his breathing going heavy.

 **THRUUUM**

Although he wasn't sure about how that happened, he could see the hand of his Stand pulsating and sending the entire machine on the air. It all happened in a second and he couldn't understand why. His eyes saw the moment that the computer went into the air and was about to crash on the floor.

\- **Star Platinum: The World!**

Brendan looked over the floor, but there was no sign of the computer in there. Instead, it was back on the table, right in front of Jotaro, who was trying to turn it on again.

\- Huh? How did it…– he mumbled, confused. – I'm sorry, I don't know how that happened.

\- That is ok. It was probably just your Stand trying to defend you. After all, the connection with the Printer's Stand worked. – Josuke said, pointing to the monitor.

Brendan and Shizuka moved themselves to be able to watch the screen, and both got really surprised with it. Despite having a lot of noise and filter, there was a small clip playing on a loop on it. It wasn't really clear, but there was an image of a small kid holding his arm and crying room.

\- Is that…? – Shizuka started.

\- Me. That's me. – Brendan said. After seeing that, he suddenly remembered that single event that was completely forgotten from his mind this whole time.

\- What is this place? And why you were crying? – Josuke asked.

\- Well, I can't remember properly. But I know that this place was the orphanage where I grew up before moving here. I probably was four or five years old on this. – he said, trying to remember without success.

\- Wait, there is more. – Jotaro said, and everyone looked on the screen. He managed to stop the image on a certain frame, which led Shizuka and Brendan to gasp. There was a silhouette of a man in a black suit close by a black box, which appeared to contain a lot of tubes.

\- The man in a suit! – Shizuka said. Brendan put his hand over his head, trying to remember. That was a traumatic day for some reason, but he wasn't sure how. Back to his head, he now was clearly able to remember seeing a man with a black briefcase and suit on the orphanage that day, but he didn't know why.

\- What is the meaning of this? – Josuke asked Jotaro, who was keeping its eyes fixed on the screen. When Brendan looked at them, he could see that Jotaro's Stand was leaning right behind him, with its eyes also fixed on the screen.

\- There is a symbol. A small insignia on that black box. – Jotaro said, scribing it on his smartphone. – I don't know what is its meaning, but I know someone who might know it.

Jotaro stood up while closing up the briefcase.

\- I think this might be more dangerous than what we expected. I will need to meet with a contact that might know the meaning of this symbol. Meanwhile, you guys better keep yourselves in low profile.

\- Wait, you are already going? – Shizuka said, a bit surprised.

\- Yes. We have no time to lose if the enemy is already making its moves. And I can't risk having this information going off, so it's better to do it personally. Don't worry, I will contact you as soon as I have answers. – he said while walking towards the door.

\- I will stay here for a while, Mr. Jotaro. – Josuke said while sitting on the chair. – We better not leave them alone, especially now that they are targets.

Brendan felt a bit insulted by that. He always has been able to take care of himself, and the last thing he would like is to have a babysitter to watch over him. But the situation was so messed up that he wouldn't mind having an ally close, especially in the case of another incident like Big Jack.

\- Very well. Take care, you all – Jotaro said, without turning back to them. He opened the door and walked outside, but not before saying another thing. – Shizuka.

\- What?

\- The old man would be proud of you.

And so, the three watched as he walked away and got inside a taxi. Brendan noticed a twisted smile on Shizuka's face, as well as a single tear in her face. After that, they got inside and started discussing their next moves. Brendan would go back to work on Monday, while Shizuka and Josuke would stay at home and keep an eye at any possible new event.

During the night, while having dinner, they talked about all kinds of subjects and Brendan was simply stupefied by all those stories they were talking about. Hunting down a serial killer, the Italian mafia, and other bizarre things.

\- So, this guy, Dio. Was he really a vampire? As in the books and films, with fangs, cape and the turning into bat thing? – he asked.

\- Well, not exactly. But yes, he was a vampire indeed. All of this started because of his evil doings in the past, and the Joestars faced the consequences since then. – Shizuka said.

Brendan was so involved on those stories that he didn't even notice his arms movement and accidentally dropped his glass on the floor.

\- Shit! Not again.

\- Don't worry. – Josuke said. – Crazy Diamond!

The small shards started to float in the air and formed the glass again. Josuke fetched it and left it on the table.

\- Your Stand is so cool, Mr. Josuke. – Brendan said.

Josuke simply laughed at him.

\- Speaking of which, you haven't told us the name of your Stand yet.

\- I don't think he even thought about it yet. – Shizuka said, now focusing her attention on the film that was going on the TV.

\- Actually, I thought of one. – he said.

\- And what is it? – Josuke asked.

Brendan wasn't sure how that thing worked, but there was a name that came to his head when he saw his Stand for the first time. And now, thinking about it, he was sure that it was the best name he could give to it.

\- War Machine.

[TO BE CONTINUED]


End file.
